Naruto: Proper Guidance
by epkbutle
Summary: What would change if Naruto got the one thing that he lacked ... proper guidance? Our energetic hero is finally guided onto a constructive path. Smart/Semi-Serious Naruto, Very Strong Naruto. Will follow canon with some major changes as I go along, will basically be AU after training trip. Rated M for safety
1. Chapter 1: Eggs and Oaths I

**This is my first fanfiction. I have a bit of an idea of where I want to go with this story so it should be fairly organized.**

**I'll be following canon for a bit with some major changes here and there. I plan on going my own way after the training trip and we really get into Akatsuki. **

**I don't have a proofreader so please message me if you see anything wrong.**

**I've got no pairings at this point but there will be romance. I will most likely let the pairing arrive naturally as I write.**

**This will be a smart, serious Naruto and he will be stronger than canon and strong sooner than in canon but not Godlike.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own Naruto.**

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Prologue**

**Eggs and Oaths …**

It was a beautiful fall night in Konoha. A wonderful chill drifted through the air and the festival atmosphere was all about the village. So why? Why was this happening again?

Naruto ran down the street as fast as his little 4-year-old legs could carry him. He dodged, darted, and dashed between and around the villagers with a grace no child his age should show. His body moved by instinct and his mind was a buzz once again as to why these people were trying to hurt him.

"_What did I do? I was just trying to eat. I even had money this time!" _Naruto questioned to himself.

A tall, hulky man in the mob tried to pelt Naruto with a rock but narrowly missed his blond shaggy hair as the little boy cut into the an alley. "Follow him! Don't let that demon get away!" The man yelled to the others in the mob.

Naruto knew these alleys like the back of his hand, every dark corner, every crawl space, every nook and cranny had been mentally mapped and physically ran through numerous times. He just had to be fast enough. "_A little further, just a little further … I'm almost there." _Naruto anxiously chattered to himself. He could here the heavy steps approaching him and knew that he was quickly running out of time. Naruto sprinted into another alley and frantically felt along one of the walls. His face lit up as he felt the heavy brick slide out of its position and with all the haste his body could afford he quickly moved more and more bricks out of the way. Naruto froze as a loud crash sounded far to close to him for comfort. With all the restraint he could muster he halted a scream from escaping his throat.

"There's a dead end ahead, we've finally caught up to the little bastard!" A small woman yelled as the mob approached Naruto's position. The mob yelled in excitement and rushed to meet the small boy to give him his birthday "gift".

Naruto's little hands were bleeding from moving all the bricks but he could almost see through to the alley on the opposite side of the wall. He slid the last brick and quickly started to pull his body under the wall. He reached out and felt the freedom and safety just beyond the unforgiving obstacle and started to pull the rest of his body through until a large hand grabbed his foot and started to pull is body back into the alley. Naruto panicked and kicked the hand with his other foot with all his might.

"Just give up brat and take your beating!" One man yells.

"That's right, there's no use trying to get away from us!" Another yells.

Naruto reared his left leg up next to his chest and kicked down with all his might onto the hand holding him back from escaping.

"Kami damn it! You little shit!" the man yelled and unwillingly released his hold on the small boys leg.

Naruto felt the grip leave his leg and quickly tucked his legs back into the safety of the hole and slid his body to the safety beyond. He awkwardly scurried to his feet and started to run away once again.

After finally running far enough away to feel safe Naruto fell to the ground and leaned against a cold wall in yet another alley. The small blond gulped in air and desperately heaved his chest in hopes that his heart would slow down. His breaths finally start to slow and the tremble slowly started to leave his sweaty and dirt caked body. Naruto relaxed his tiny fists, that he didn't even realize he was clenching, and looked at the bleeding nail marks in his palms. He slowly rubbed the blood off on his shirt before he pulled his knees into his chest. He wrapped his short arms around his legs and began to cry, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. "I'm so scared." Naruto whispered into the night. He cried until the tears would no longer fall from his eyes, his throat sore from the agonizing wails and stifled screams. Once he reached the pinnacle of exhaustion, Naruto fell over onto his side in the fetal position, and whimpered to himself until exhaustion finally claimed him.

**-Next Morning-**

Beautiful ocean blue eyes open to the gentle morning light that peaked into the desolate alley. Naruto slowly began to stir, his body ached from the prior nights chase and the unforgiving ground that substituted for a bed. The sound of crinkled paper further removed him from his absent state of mind. "Where did the paper come from?" Naruto asked to no one as he removed the makeshift newspaper blanket from on top of his legs.

Naruto stood up and stretched his hands to the peaceful morning sky, and then rubbed his legs with his little hands. "I'm sooooo hungry!" he shouted out and grabbed in stomach as it moaned and growled out to him.

"Breakfast, Breakfast, gotta get me some breakfast." Naruto sang to himself. He skipped over to the trash can opposite of were he'd slept and started to dig through the rubbish.

"Sweet!" he yelled in excitement and pulled out a half eaten sandwich and a tad bit too old apple. He gently put the food into his pockets and headed for his apartment.

Naruto safely made it home and after eating his scavenged meal, he headed to the bathroom for yet another ice cold shower. After quickly washing himself he dressed with his body still partially damp from not drying off properly and settled into his bed. He softly shifted into his lumpy mattress trying to find a comfortable position and quickly drifted off to sleep once more.

A shadowy figure appeared on the branch outside his room. It looked in through his window at the sleeping boy and then disappeared in the wind as if it was never there.

**-Hokage's Office-**

"Report" the Sandaime barked.

The Anbu didn't even flinch in his kneeled position from the harshness in the Hokage's tone. He stood up and started to report. "There was nothing of note that took place during yesterday's watch until well into the night, "fox" was on his way back from a stall when a male villager approached him. After the man started to yell at "fox", a small crowd began to form in the area.

The Hokage's eyes glared into the Anbu's mask as he continued.

"Once others started to yell at "fox" from the growing crowd, he fled. I tracked "fox" as he ran and he was succeeding in his escape until he came to a dead end. He managed to get under a wall and was almost free until one of the villagers in the mob grabbed him." the Anbu explained

The Hokage's body stiffened at this particular detail but he didn't let it show on his face.

"Fox managed to escape after kicking himself free and fled further into the residential area before taking shelter in a quiet alley and sleeping their for the night after crying himself to sleep. He woke a little after dawn and after removing his "breakfast" from a near by trash can he proceeded back to his home safely, where he then ate, showered, and returned to sleep. I left when I was relieved by "Cat"," the Anbu finished with as little emotion in his voice as when he began.

"The attacks are becoming more frequent," Sarutobi mumbled to himself," but at least he got away this year. This is the first time he hasn't spent the day after his birthday in the hospital," he said more to himself than the Anbu standing before him. "You're dismissed" Sarutobi barked out.

"Hai Hokage-sama" the Anbu bowed before he shun-shined out of the room.

"Eggs and Oaths are soon broken" Sarutobi sighed to himself. "Minato I hope that you can forgive the villagers for their ignorance, for they stomp on your wishes daily," the old man sadly stated to no one.

**-With a 5 year old Naruto-**

"Did you enjoy your lunch, Naruto?" the Hokage said to the bouncing boy walking next to him.

"Hai! Ramen is the best food EVER!" the blonde child yelled back with a huge smile on his face.

"You were telling me about the fox kit that you found yesterday. Where did you find him?" Sarutobi asked with a glint in his eye.

"I was playing in the river in the forest and when I went to put my clothes back on it was sleeping in my shirt," Naruto stated as he cocked his head to the side. The blonde boy continued to jabber on to the Hokage about his adventures with his new fox friend until they finally arrived at his apartment. Naruto stopped suddenly after taking a few steps inside and slowly turned around to meet the Hokage's eyes.

"What is it Naruto?" the Hokage prodded. Naruto opened his mouth to speak but shut it with an audible click and looked to the floor.

"You know you can tell me anything? I won't get mad," the Hokage spoke to him gently.

"Well," Naruto quietly began. "I … I … I want to learn how to read," he said with barely a whisper.

Sarutobi smiled brightly and reached down and stroked Naruto's messy golden locks. Sarutobi slowly bent down onto one knee and placed his hand under Naruto's chin. He slowly lifted Naruto's head until he could see those piercing blue eyes and gave the young blond a reassuring smile.

"Then I guess I'll have to arrange something won't I," Sarutobi said with a wink and a smirk. Before he could say anything else, the little blond charged into Sarutobi's chest with surprising speed.

"Hmph!" Sarutobi grunted when Naruto made contact and then began to chuckle gently while stroking the blonde's hair.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Naruto said brightly while giving the old man the biggest hug his little arms could manage with the hugest smile anyone had seen on his chubby face.

**-Hokage's Office-**

Sarutobi signed and stamped yet another paper and added it the slowly growing stack of finished work on his desk. An Anbu shun-shined before him and he placed his hand in his lap and gave them his attention.

"You sent for me Hokage-sama?" the Anbu questioned respectfully.

"Hai, I did but first please stand and relax please. You're not in trouble." Sarutobi stated jovially.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the Anbu acknowledged and fell into a stiff parade rest. The Hokage grumbled to himself at the sight and just shook his head and continued.

"Remove your mask and take a seat please … I said to relax," Sarutobi lightly commanded. The Anbu removed his mask and remained standing looking at the Hokage awaiting further instruction.

"Itachi … I said take a seat," the Hokage paused and looked at the stiff 10 year old before him. Itachi finally sat in the seat and awaited further instruction.

"I'm concerned about … how do I say this … your," Sarutobi stroked his chin before continuing, "your continual emotional regression" the Hokage stated. "Now I understand that emotions can be dangerous when used at the wrong time and especially for an Anbu such as yourself but emotions do have a place and I fear that since you've been a ninja so long from such an early age that you may have missed out on developing and understanding the place of emotions in the ninja lifestyle." Sarutobi finished. Itachi just stood and stared back at him. "Itachi, I'd like to hear your feelings on this issue, if you would," the Hokage pleaded.

"Hokage-sama, I see no issue with my emotional state and do not understand the origin of your concerns," Itachi stated evenly.

"And that is precisely why I'm so worried. Itachi please understand, I know that the Uchiha are … stoic and don't favor emotional behavior. But even for an Uchiha your emotions feel repressed and barely existent, now I feel that I am to blame partially since I focused more on your achievements than I did to your short comings. The fact is though that since you are a prodigy a great deal of leniency was given to you because of how highly your performance has been but emotion and dedication are two very strong bonds that ninjas form with their village. I wish for you to strengthen one such bond that apparently you don't even realize is waning," Sarutobi finishes.

"But …" Itachi started to counter but was cut off quickly by the Hokage.

"No Itachi, not but. I really need you to understand where I'm coming from with all of this. Emotions connect us to each other. Bonds are strengthened through everything that we experience and if your not able to tap into this connection than basically you are cutting off a potential reason for growth," the Hokage strongly stated as he placed his elbows on the desk and leaned his face into his hands.

"Until otherwise specified you won't be going on anymore long term or S-ranked missions. The longest you'll be away from the village is a week at a time tops. I want you to focus on forming emotional bonds with your fellow ninja and reconnecting with your family. Your brother adores you, now you'll have some time to spend with him," the Hokage said with a smile.

"Also, I'll need you to handle a special long term mission for me within the village," the Hokage shuffled through the papers on the desk and picked up a mission scroll. He stood up and handed the scroll over. Itachi grabbed the scroll and returned to his seat.

Itachi opened the mission scroll, read it, resealed it and stood to his feet. "Hai, Hokage-sama," Itachi said as he bowed. He put his mask back on his face and shun-shined from the office.

Sarutobi sighed deeply and slouched into his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. "Itachi, what am I going to do with you."

**-Riverbank in the forest-**

Naruto was happily stomping through the water in the shallows of the river. The sun was high in the sky shining it's warmth down on the energetic boy and small fox kit. An Anbu shun-shined into the clearing and looked at the small child as he played.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Anbu stated.

"Hai!" the small boy screamed from the scare he had just received. Naruto then picked himself up out of the water that he didn't even realize he had sat down in.

"Yes, I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto said shyly while slowly walking onto the bank. "Who are you?" the blond asked softly.

"I'm Crow. No," the Anbu reached to his face and removed his mask. "I'm Uchiha Itachi and I've been assigned to teach you to read," the Uchiha declared stoically.

Naruto's face immediately brightened and he dashed over to Itachi with no abandon and latched on to Itachi's legs, soaking them with his drenched body and smiled up at him.

"Awesome!" Naruto yelled as he trotted towards a large tree and flopped down. He cocked his head to the side and looked at Itachi.

"Well … are you coming?" Naruto said innocently as he patted the ground next to him.

To be continued

**Please let me know what you think!**

**I'll try to update this weekly**

**Until then!**


	2. Chapter 2: Eggs and Oaths II

**I'm back guys sorry for the delay but I was super busy with work. Going forward this fanfiction will be updated at least once every 2 weeks. Again this is my first fanfiction so bare with me. Please review if you see anything that out right wrong.**

**I'll be following canon up until the training trip for sure but if things go as I think they are it will be leaning more towards an AU after that.**

**I don't have a proof reader so please message me if you see anything wrong. Even though I proof read my own stuff I still manage to miss some stuff.**

**I still don't have any pairings planned but there will definitely be romance in this story.**

**This will be a smart, serious Naruto and he will be stronger than canon and stronger sooner than in canon but not Godlike.  
**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
**

**I do not own Naruto.**

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**"Demon Talking"**

**_'Demon Thinking'_**

**Chapter 2**

**Eggs and Oaths II**

Itachi paced slowly in the grass carefully watching the young boy in front of him. The small blonde haired child laid on his stomach in the soft lush grass under the shade of what Itachi assumed was his favorite tree. He was surrounded by scrolls and concentrated deeply on his current assignment. Itachi couldn't understand why the Hokage would give him this particular assignment but after recent events he was beginning to think that there was some purpose here beyond what the Hokage discussed with him that day in his office. The last couple of weeks had gone by in a bit of a blur and Itachi would have never thought that teaching a small boy to read was an assignment worthy of an ANBU but who was he to question his orders. Itachi couldn't help but wonder if there was something he was missing because these past couple of weeks were nothing like what he expected.

**-Flashback: 2 weeks ago-**

"_I'm Uchiha Itachi and I've been assigned to teach you to read," the Uchiha stated stoically._

_Naruto's face immediately brightened and he dashed over to Itachi with abandon and latched on to Itachi's legs and smiled up at him._

"_Awesome!" Naruto yelled as he ran towards the tree and sat down. He cocked his head to the side and looked at Itachi._

"_Well … are you coming?" Naruto said innocently as he patted the ground next to him._

_Itachi walked over to Naruto and stood in front of him._

"_Naruto stand up please," Itachi stated with authority. Naruto looked up at him hesitantly and stood up slowly with a slouched posture and looked towards his feet. "Naruto I'm not going to hurt you, there is no need for you to fear me," Itachi tried to reassure._

"_Hai" Naruto shakily said as he shifted back and forth on his feet and slowly rose his head to meet Itachi's black steel gaze._

"_Naruto, I'm going to teach you to read, and while I teach you, you will call me sensei." Itachi started off. A small smile formed on Naruto's face as he stopped shifting on his feet._

"_Hai Sensei!" the blonde yelled and beamed a huge smile at Itachi._

"_Before I start Naruto, I'd like you to tell me what you already know." Itachi evenly declared and looked to Naruto as if giving him permission to speak._

_Naruto picked up on the look and began to explain his current knowledge._

"_I'm not quite sure how much I know. Jiji read to me sometimes and I know the words in those books and I can kinda figure out some words but I'm not sure if what I've figured out is right." Naruto quickly blurted out and then paused and looked at the ground with shame._

_Itachi said nothing and just looked at the young boy for a moment before he slowly bent down to one knee in front of Naruto. He gingerly lifted Naruto's head so that he looked into Itachi's eyes and then sighed to himself softly._

"_Naruto, there is no shame in ignorance. Everyone is ignorant to something. The only thing that is shameful in this world is ones willingness to stay in their ignorance and you have already proven to me that you are not such a person simply by requesting a tutor from Hokage-sama. You as young as you are have already realized the importance of knowledge and I'm here to help you to the best of my abilities, so please rest assured that you have nothing to fear from me." Itachi affirmed and then slowly stood back to his feet._

_Naruto didn't expect Itachi to willingly help him with this task. There had been plenty of ninjas that were assigned different missions involving Naruto as far back as he could remember and the majority of those memories were not pleasant. Shock was written all over his face but relief had completely washed over his body and you could see the change immediately in his demeanor. Someone was actually going to help him. Today was definitely a day to remember._

"_Sensei … thank you," Naruto said softly and bowed deeply to Itachi._

_This was not the reaction that Itachi had expected. Every second he spent with this small child was making him more and more intrigued with Naruto and he couldn't figure out why._

"_There will be no lesson today Naruto, but we will begin fresh first thing in the morning. Meet me in front of the library at 8 in the morning and we will begin your lessons. Be prepared to work. I don't like lazy individuals and you will not slack off with me." Itachi declared and looked toward Naruto who was still bowing before him._

"_Hai, Sensei!" Naruto yelled with passion and then rose to look his sensei in the eyes._

"_Sensei?" Naruto softly questioned_

"_Yes Naruto?" Itachi evenly replied._

"_Do we have to study at the Library? Can we not study here?" Naruto asked hesitantly._

"_I don't mind teaching you here but why not study at the Library, there are many more resources that we could use." Itachi asked with genuine curiosity._

"_I don't like the way the people look at me and the ladies at the desk never let me in anyways." Naruto barked out with disdain. He quickly shot his eyes at Itachi about to apologize before Itachi raised his hand cutting him off._

"_I see, then to teach you here would be best. I see no problems with it. We'll just have to figure something else out for days when the weather isn't cooperative." Itachi stated and then turned to leave._

"_I'll see you in the morning Naruto. Do not be late." Itachi commanded and then shun-shined away._

_Naruto said nothing and just bowed towards Itachi as he disappeared._

"_Come Hiroki, we have to get to bed so that we can get here early tomorrow." Naruto said to the small fox kit as he scooped him up in his arms and then ran off towards his home._

**Flashback End**

"Hehehe" Naruto laughed victoriously at his latest achievement. He rolled over onto his back and held the scroll up so that he could critique his work.

"Sensei, I finished my scroll. Can you look at it for me?" Naruto excitedly stated as he rose to his feet and walked over to Itachi who was reading his own scroll next to the river.

"Hai Naruto, but only if you ask correctly." Itachi stated pointedly.

"Gomenasai Sensei. Itachi Sensei, would you please critique my completed assignment." Naruto respectfully stated as he held out his scroll to Itachi with a slight bow of his head.

"Very good Naruto. You can go take a break while I look over your work." Itachi said with a hidden smirk on his face.

"Hai!" Naruto exclaimed and immediately bolted over to his white fox companion that batted at something in the shallows of the river.

Itachi shook his head at Naruto's usual antics and shifted his concentration to the scroll now in his hands.

'_How … How has he progressed so quickly?'_ Itachi thought to himself. The past couple of weeks had been nothing like Itachi had expected. He was thinking that he would spend his days going over the alphabet and slowly working through children's novels until his mind was numb with boredom but Naruto had effectively shot all those expectations down the very first day of lessons. He already knew most of the alphabet he only needed help in filling in some holes and correcting a few mistakes here and there. Itachi immediately moved to Naruto reading to him out loud that same day and saw that Naruto already had a solid grasp on phonics. Again Naruto only needed a little help and Itachi quickly noticed that once he asked a question or was corrected he never made the mistake again or asked for help with the same issue. Naruto was reading more fluidly than the majority of children his age after only his fourth lesson and had surpassed his younger brother's proficiency completely by the end of the first week, even though his brother had been receiving lessons from his mother since the age of 4. Naruto had complained about running out of money again after what could only be described as a sparse shopping trip but after further investigation Itachi discovered that Naruto was being grossly overcharged, so Itachi added arithmetic to his lessons in hopes of keeping the young blonde from being taken advantage of so frequently. Writing lessons immediately followed a couple of days later to help him increase his vocabulary while he continued with his reading assignments.

'_There is no question about it; Naruto is a genius. I'll have to ask Hokage-sama if I can have his IQ tested.'_ Itachi continued to stare blankly at the scroll as he thought to himself.

"Sensei, do I need to make any corrections?" Naruto questioned after he returned from his break. "Sensei … Sensei!" Naruto yelled at Itachi trying to break him from his trance.

Itachi blinked slowly and then shifted his glance to an irritated Naruto who was tapping his foot impatiently and scowled rather cutely at his sensei.

"Naruto what have a said about losing your temper?" Itachi chastised while he crossed his arms under his chest and stared down at Naruto with stern authority on his face.

"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding." Naruto quoted to Itachi without the slightest hesitation.

"And what does that mean?" Itachi questioned the child before him.

"It means that if I let me emotions get the best of me then I will see things incorrectly and not as they actually are, and in life of a shinobi it could cost me my life." Naruto stated and then grinned to himself being proud of his answer.

"Hn, That is correct" Itachi responded and then proceeded to flick Naruto in the forehead.

"Hey, what was that for!?" Naruto yelled as he rubbed his forehead and glared daggers at his sensei.

"To test your restraint." Itachi stated with a small smirk forming on his face.

"We'll need to work on controlling your anger. It will serve no purpose to know to control your emotions and not help you when I see weakness." Itachi said with a knowing look in his eyes.

"You only did that because you think its funny. You may not laugh out loud but I know you are because your lip goes up a little bit every time you flick my forehead." Naruto huffed and started to cutely pout.

'_He sees such small changes in the environment around him. He may not look it but he has great perception.'_ Itachi thought to himself quite impressed with Naruto once again.

"We are done with all the lessons I had planned for today Naruto. I have a meeting with Hokage-sama about your progress so we will have your lesson afterwards. Meet me here tomorrow at noon. Do not be late." Itachi commanded sternly. Naruto straightened up and respectfully bowed to his sensei.

"Hai Sensei!" Naruto chirped before he rose and saw Itachi disappear in a swirl of leaves.

**-Hokage Office the next day-**

Sarutobi sat at his desk and vigorously worked on the stack of papers that forever plagued the corner of his desk when a knock came to his door.

"Come in" Sarutobi commanded while he stamped yet another page and placed it into the completed pile.

"I'm here to report on my mission progress Hokage-sama." the young Uchiha stated almost robotically. The Hokage sighed at the lack of emotion but finished his current page before he set down his pen and gave the shinobi his full attention.

"And how is young Naruto progressing with his reading, Itachi?" Sarutobi asked cheerily while he placed his elbows on his desk and leaned forward a bit.

"Naruto has exceeded all expectations, Hokage-sama." Itachi began his report.

"How so?" the Hokage asked with interest evident in his voice as his leaned forward further in his chair.

"Naruto's reading comprehension is already above those of his own age. I'd put his current level at around that of a first year academy student and that is only because of his lack of vocabulary which we are currently working on with the introduction of writing at the beginning of this week and is growing exponentially." Itachi stated without an ounce of surprise in his voice. The Hokage's jaw slacked and he stared at Itachi in disbelief.

"He's what? At what level?" Sarutobi attempted to ask his shinobi but was failing tragically. Itachi was going to answer his attempted questions but was waved off by the Hokage before he could start.

"Please continue Itachi, I did not mean to interrupt." Sarutobi stated while he tried to wrap his mind around those opening statements.

"Hai Hokage-sama. Naruto's penmanship is rather surprising. I'm not quite sure how to describe his work other than say that it is … elegant." Itachi stated saying the word elegant with a questioning tone before he continued. He removed a scroll from his pouch and handed it to the Hokage before he continued on with his report.

"That scroll is the last writing assignment that I gave him yesterday. Naruto is given a prompt for each assignment but before he answers the prompt he has to complete his penmanship assignment but both are in that scroll." Itachi said and nodded towards the scroll currently in Sarutobi's hand. The Hokage went ahead and opened the scroll and motioned for Itachi to continue.

"As you can see, there is nothing about that scroll that resembles the work of a five year old. The strokes are fluid, confident, and like a said before elegant. Naruto is honestly a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to his handwriting. I left him a few exercises the first day we had a writing lesson thinking we'd work on them throughout this week but came back the next morning and he had not only completed them all but had done each of them multiple times. Most adults don't write with this type of clean precision and he still isn't satisfied with his work." Itachi declared and waited while the Hokage looked over the scroll.

To say that Sarutobi was shocked at the document in front of him would be an understatement. He was absolutely taken aback by the absolutely beautiful writing in front of him. Every stroke was like a work of art. If he didn't know better he would think that some sort of master had presented him with the scroll, but for it to come from a five year old was more than his mind could wrap around. He looked up at Itachi and turned the scroll towards the boy in front of him.

"Naruto did this." Sarutobi asked him reiterating his question by pointing at the writing that filled the scroll.

"Hai Hokage-sama, I saw him do this one with my own eyes." Itachi confirmed.

"Please continue with your report." Sarutobi stated blankly while he pulled the scroll back and continued to look at it.

"I discovered that Naruto was being frequently overcharged while shopping by rather egregious amounts so I decided to teach him some numbers and arithmetic so that he could shop better with his appointed funds. Like everything else that I've gone over with him, he took to it immediately and is already completely proficient in addition and subtraction as well as simple multiplication and division. This is how I know that the overcharging is egregious. Naruto informed me during a particular lesson that if what he was calculating was correct then he was being charged ten times the sale price for his food during his latest shopping trip. I looked over his math and he was in fact correct." Itachi reported with a hint of anger in his voice, which the Hokage picked up on immediately and actually seemed a bit pleased with Itachi's emotional development.

"Basically, I've come to the conclusion that Naruto is nothing short of a genius. His ability to pick up on everything I teach him is almost immediate and I've never had to correct the same mistake twice even though everything I've taught him is completely foreign to him." Itachi declared as he rapped up his report.

Sarutobi took a long sigh and unclenched his fists that he had unknowingly been clenching.

"So he's a genius. I'd figured as much, he's always asked me questions that were seemingly outside of his comprehension." Sarutobi started off.

"Well Itachi this was suppose to be a long term mission. I had expected it to be at least 4 months before Naruto could read well enough to leave him to his own devices." Sarutobi stated while rubbing his chin.

"Hokage-sama" Itachi stated getting Sarutobi's attention. "I wish to continue with this mission. Even though the mission parameters are currently to teach Naruto to read, I feel that there is much more that I can teach him to better prepare him before he is left to learn on his own." Itachi requested objectively.

"He now knows how to read, write, and do math. What other skills do you see that he lacks that he needs before he can learn on his own?" The Hokage asked curiously.

"He currently doesn't have access to the library because the librarians won't allow him to enter. I want to teach him how to use the henge. This will allow him access to the library so that he can learn whatever he wants and also be able to shop without being over charged. To learn henge, he'll need to release his chakra first and then start him with some chakra control exercises." Itachi listed for the Hokage.

"That seems reasonable enough. Is there anything else you see fitting to teach him Itachi?" Sarutobi eagerly prodded the young ANBU.

"Hai Hokage-sama. Naruto is still being chased and beaten fairly often. He's shown up for his lessons every other day with bruises that haven't healed completely. Seeing as how quickly he heals, this means that the beatings are rather bad seeing as how there are still bruises left the next day. Judging by what I've seen while being on his guard detail. Normal bruises from let's say a punch; disappear within an hour. The only ones that I've seen that last more than a day are the ones that are there because of severe fractures or deep punctures." Itachi thought out loud for the Hokage. Sarutobi seethed in his seat as he listened to Itachi's thoughts.

"I think it would be beneficial to train Naruto in speed, stealth, and a defense based taijutsu." Itachi stated and looked to the Hokage and waited for his reply.

Sarutobi was beyond pissed with what Itachi had just told him. Not only was Naruto being beaten but also he was being beaten so badly that evidence was still present on his body the next day, which in Naruto's case meant it was incredibly serious.

'_What is the point of assigning an ANBU guard if they don't protect him!'_ Sarutobi thought angrily while leaking KI _(killing intent)_. Sarutobi reached into his desk for a blank mission scroll and began to write, while Itachi stood and waited in silence. After a couple of minutes of Sarutobi scribbling into the scroll, he stamped the bottom, signed it and tossed it to Itachi.

"Itachi as of now your current mission has ended and I'm assigning you this new one. You will teach Naruto speed, stealth, chakra control, and how to henge. If you wish to teach him anything outside of these parameters you are to clear it with me first and it will be added to the official mission." Sarutobi commanded with great authority.

"You are also to report to me anytime you find evidence of a beating on him. I will not tolerate my ANBU not during as they are told!" Sarutobi declared as he leaked enough killing intent to make Itachi start to sweat.

"Hai Hokage-sama." Itachi stated before he left the room in a swirl of leaves.

"ANBU!" Sarutobi yelled and two ANBU appeared before him on bended knee.

"Bring me Inu." Sarutobi commanded with a deadly tone.

"Hai Hokage-sama." They both stated and shun-shined away.

**-Riverbank in the Forest-**

Naruto was resting against his favorite tree in the shade as he read a scroll and watched Hiroki chase butterflies along the riverbank. He finished yet another scroll and rolled it up and placed it in a haphazard pile next to him as he grabbed another scroll from the neat stack on his other side. Itachi watched him read from a branch a couple of trees away before he made his presence known as he dropped down and walked towards his pupil.

"What are you reading Naruto?" Itachi asked while he walked quietly towards the boy.

"It's a scroll about the founding of Konoha. Did you know that your clan was one of the founding ones?" Naruto asked not even looking up from the scroll. Itachi shook his head and continued to walk towards the blonde boy.

"Yes I did know that. I'm glad you've taken an interest in those history scrolls. They have a lot of good information in them." Itachi continued as he reached his destination. He bent down and sat next Naruto's neat stack of scrolls and glanced over at the messy pile on the other side before he continued.

"Naruto, go ahead and put away your scroll. I have some things I need to discuss with you." Itachi instructed with some authority. Naruto looked up from his scroll and then preceded to put it away and gave Itachi all of his attention.

"Naruto, you've done really well with the things that I've taught you thus far, so I've decided that we are going to branch out a little with your lessons." Itachi stated while he grabbed a scroll out of his pouch and handed it the small blonde. Naruto looked to Itachi and proceeded to open the scroll after he received a small nod from his sensei.

"What you have in your hand in what will become your daily routine. It is my hope that after you have become proficient in those tasks that you will no longer have as many _**issues**_ with the villagers." Itachi stated with a dark emphasis on the word issues. He looked to Naruto to see if he understood. Naruto was too wrapped up in the scroll to realize that Itachi was watching him.

"Sensei, if I learn all these things … I won't get beat up anymore?" Naruto asked his sensei softly with hope lingered in the question. Itachi hesitantly placed his hand on the blonde boys head and Naruto shifted his head to look into Itachi's eyes.

"I'm not going to lie to you Naruto. The villagers will still try to beat you, but … with this you'll have a better chance of escaping if anything escalates and if you do get caught you'll be able to defend yourself. I think that for now that's much better than what you're doing now. Don't you think?" Itachi gently questioned the boy and waited for a reply.

Naruto gave a soft nod and clenched the scroll in his hands shook. Itachi ruffled his golden locks and shifted his body so that he was seated in front of troubled boy.

"Naruto, I'm going to teach you some really important things; things that are going to give you a chance at living a much better life. You'll be able to shop without peoples hindrances or getting overcharged at shops. You'll be able to go to the library and read as many scrolls and books as you could possibly want. And you'll be stronger and one day the villagers won't mess with you anymore." Itachi listed off the possibilities and with each one Naruto became more and more excited.

"How? … what will I learn that will help me do all of that?" Naruto asked with great need in his voice.

"Well, look at your scroll for a second." Itachi said while he picked Naruto up and shifted him to his lap so that they could both look at his scroll.

Naruto's Training Regime

6:00am ... Speed Training

7:00 am ... Chakra Control

8:00am ... History Lessons

9:00am ... Self Study

10:00am ... Lunch

12:00pm ... Taijutsu

1:00pm ... Stealth

2:00pm ... Ninjutsu (Henge)

"With this schedule we are going to work on these specific areas every day instead of your current lessons and on days when I have missions you will do this by yourself." Itachi stated while he pointed at the different sections on the schedule. Naruto had wide eyes as he looked at his new schedule. It was so official and it made him feel grown up. He was very pleased with this new change.

"Whenever I think that you are ready, I'll show you how to go to the library and grocery shop without being bothered." Itachi stated matter of factly as Naruto looked at him with awe. Naruto dropped the scroll and turned to face Itachi. He wrapped his little arms around Itachi's neck and gave him a hug with all of his strength.

"Thank you Sensei." Naruto said with barely a whisper. Itachi gave him a soft pat on the back and then lifted him up and placed him on the ground as he stood.

"Well then Naruto. It's a bit past noon so if you'd like we can start with taijutsu and work down your schedule or we can call it a day and start fresh tomorrow." Itachi questioned the young boy who stood before him. Naruto paused only for an instant and then gave his sensei a face splitting grin.

"Taijutsu!" Naruto exclaimed with great joy while he jumped into the air. He landed and then waited for Itachi's instructions.

"I guessed correctly then." Itachi said as he pulled a colored scroll from his pouch and handed it to Naruto.

"That scroll is the beginners through intermediate katas of the defensive taijutsu style called the Flowing Fist. It is a very fluid style that uses the opponents strength and momentum against them, which is perfect for you since you are obviously smaller and weaker than the villagers that are bothering you." Itachi explained to the eager blonde who bounced in front of him.

"We will work on stealth so that it is harder for the villagers to notice that you are around and it will make it much easier for you to escape if things ever get bad. I'll teach you how to henge your appearance so that no one can recognize you. This is how you'll be able to shop and go to the library without problems." Itachi continued on. Naruto looked like he was going to erupt at this point so Itachi decided to move on to the lessons and explain the specifics of the rest of his schedule tomorrow. Itachi got Naruto to open up his taijutsu scroll and proceeded to walk him through the katas.

**-6 months Later-**

Itachi left the Hokage Tower after he returned from a three-day mission. He decided to head to the Uchiha compound to clean up and get some rest since he had the next couple of days off. When he got close to the compound he dropped to the street and continued on to his home on foot. His leisurely walk was interrupted when his legs were wrapped up by two small arms.

"Hello Sasuke" Itachi greeted stoically. Sasuke grinned to himself and shifted to Itachi's side still not letting go of his legs.

"Hello Nii-sama." Sasuke beamed as he looked up at his big brother. Itachi detached Sasuke from himself and they proceeded to walk home together.

"Where have you been today Sasuke, that has you away from the compound by yourself?" Itachi asked his younger brother sternly. Sasuke flinched and fell behind his brother's pace.

"I went to the library to find a book to read." Sasuke said quietly. Itachi stopped walking but didn't turn around. Sasuke stopped walking as well and just stood there and looked at the ground.

"Sasuke, did you ask permission to leave the compound or did you venture off on a whim." Itachi questioned yet again. Sasuke flinched and began to play with a small pebble with his foot.

"Sasuke." Itachi said a bit loud and again waited for a reply. Sasuke jumped and froze before finally he spoke.

"I heard father talk to mother this morning about your return from your mission today. So I wanted to surprise you and walk with you home." Sasuke said very softly with his shoulders tensed still with his gaze fixed on the ground. Itachi sighed deeply and turned around to face the young Uchiha.

"Sasuke come over here." Itachi stated sternly and pointed to the ground next to his self. Sasuke looked towards his brother through his bangs and slowly shuffled towards his older brother. When he finally arrived, Itachi dropped to his knee and lifted Sasuke's face so that he was looking at Itachi in the eyes.

"Sasuke, I'm happy that you were excited that I was going to be home today but you absolutely can not leave the compound without letting someone know where you are going. I'm sure that if you would have asked mother she would have gladly let you go and probably would have even gone with you. Please do not do something so reckless again. Ok?" Itachi asked sincerely with softness in his eyes.

"Hai, Nii-sama." Sasuke said and leaned in to hug his brother. Itachi returned the hug happily and then stood and held his hand out to his little brother. Sasuke's eyes brightened and he reached out and grabbed a hold as they continued on to the compound.

**-Riverbank in the Forest-**

A yellow blur quickly dashed through the treetops as a small white blur followed behind it. They seemed to dance in the treetops until finally the yellow blur caught the white blur and then completely disappeared. Triumphantly standing on the forest floor was a small blonde boy wearing black shorts with 2 white strips running down the sides, a tight white t-shirt with a red swirl on the front, and a black hoodie jacket with no sleeves and a the same swirl on the back in white that was zipped half way up and black shinobi sandals. He was holding a small fluffy white fox in his arms that was nuzzling into his chest between his shirt and jacket.

"You almost lost me this time didn't you Hiroki. But I caught you before we got to the river bank so it's my win so I get to eat the last jerky." Naruto cheered while Hiroki whined in defeat. The two got comfortable in their favorite spot under the tree and relaxed for a bit. Naruto finished his jerky and gave the last bite to Hiroki before he grabbed a scroll and began to read. Naruto read for a while and then placed his scroll back in the pile and stretched his body a bit.

"Time for some taijutsu." Naruto stated as he got up from his comfortable spot and walked towards the river. He proceeded to remove his jacket, shirt, and sandals and then walked on top of the water about a foot away from the bank.

"I'll do my katas all the way through from the first to the last and then go a bit further out until I can't control my chakra anymore." Naruto said to himself and then started his katas. He flowed seamlessly from one stance to the next almost like he was dancing. Every time he finished he would pause and check his feet happy with his progress each time he would walk further away from the bank.

"You should pay a bit more attention to blind spots when you move away from your opponent" a voice stated matter of factly from the shore. Naruto lost his concentration and almost fell into the river but managed to collect himself quickly enough and only got the bottom of his shorts damp.

"Please don't scare me like that, Itachi Sensei" Naruto pleaded as he stomped to the shore to great his sensei. Itachi gave his usual smirk and waited for Naruto to reach him.

"Would it kill you to announce yourself when you get here. I know you think it's funny but I do not enjoy falling into the river during katas practice. And I thought you weren't going to be back until tomorrow?" Naruto asked while he gave his sensei a hug.

"The mission went well and we finished early, so here I am. I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow I'll be bringing someone with me to your afternoon lesson. You'll be having a sparing match." Itachi said awaiting the blonde's reaction. Naruto's blue eyes lit up with an electricity that his sensei new all too well.

"Yatta!" the young blonde yelled and jumped into the air.

"Who will I be sparring? Are they strong? Do you think I can win? Is this just for tomorrow or will I be able to spar someone again?" Naruto rang out questions until a hand landed over the young boys mouth and effectively stopped him from continuing.

"You'll find out who you're sparing tomorrow. They are your age and strong and I think it will be a good match for you. If I see it as something beneficial then I'll see that we do it again but that is still up in the air." Itachi quickly answered all of the energetic boys questions as if it was something normal and then removed his hand from his mouth. Naruto beamed his trademark blinding smile and started to bounce on his heels in anticipation.

"Why don't you go home early today and rest up for tomorrow. Skip your speed training in the morning and get some extra sleep. Do not exhaust yourself during chakra control exercises and I'll meet you here tomorrow after lunch with your sparring partner.

"Hai Itachi Nii-san … I mean Itachi Sensei!" Naruto bellowed and then ran off towards his home before Itachi could shun-shin away.

"Don't forget your clothes ..." Itachi trailed off as Naruto disappeared into the trees.

**-Next Afternoon-**

Naruto had been antsy all day. His chakra control exercises were terrible because of his lack of concentration. He barely made any progression in his history reading because his mind kept wondering and he completely skipped self-study so that he could go home early. He ate a big lunch and then took a nap. He was energetic and ready for today's spar. He jumped to his feet when he heard rustling come from the forest. Out of the forest walked Itachi and behind him stood someone Naruto didn't recognize.

"Naruto come over here please." Itachi commanded politely. He looked slightly behind himself and shook his head a bit to himself. He reached down and detached the small hands that were gripping his pants and ushered the boy to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on the little boys shoulders and looked towards the impatient blonde who walked towards him.

"Naruto this is Sasuke and he will be your sparring partner for the day." Itachi stated as he looked down at Sasuke and then up towards Naruto again. Naruto shot his hand out and presented it to the other boy.

"Hi, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet." Naruto stated politely with a genuine smile. The small boy was taken a back by the gentleness and hesitantly shook his hand in greeting. He looked up at Itachi for approval and saw his older brother smile. Sasuke's face lit up and Itachi felt the tension finally leave his shoulders.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Thank you for inviting me to spar today." The young Uchiha stated as he politely bowed to Naruto.

"No, the pleasure is all mine." Naruto stated with eloquence not that of his age and then bowed back. Itachi looked down at the two with pride and smiled to himself.

'I think this was a really good idea' Itachi thought to himself. Itachi walked away from the two young boys and started to make a circle in the forest floor with a kunai. When he finished he beckoned both of them into the circle and placed one on each side of him.

"Ok you two we are going to spar today. We will have multiple spars so pace yourselves. I think you'll both learn something from this." Itachi stated and then took a step away from them both.

"The spare will end when one of you leaves this circle or I stop the match. Do you understand?" Itachi asked the small boys. They both nodded at him with understanding and then turned to face each other. They each adopted their stances and looked to Itachi once again. Itachi raised his hand into the air and paused.

"Hajime!" Itachi stated and swung his arm to the ground quickly and hopped out of the circle.

**To be continued**

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**Please let me know what you think!**

**Until next time!**


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